Justice N. Kirubakaran of the Madras High Court on Wednesday expressed surprise over a status report, filed in the court on behalf of the Director General of Police (DGP), claiming that the orderly system – deploying lower level policemen for domestic work at the residences of higher officials – had been abolished and did not exist anymore.
Stating that it was common knowledge that the system continued till date, albeit under a different nomenclature, the judge said he was even aware of a retired police officer who had been provided with as many as six policemen for looking after his estate. “I can even give you his address,” the judge told Additional Advocate General (AAG) P.H. Arvindh Pandian.
The judge wondered what the necessity was for the Superintendents of Police and other higher officials to deploy too many policemen in their camp offices for running errands and doing household chores. The judge pointed out that the practice of camp offices came into existence during the British era.
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“However, the practice continues till date and the home offices of the police officers are termed as camp offices just to deploy orderlies and make them do domestic work,” he said. The judge was of the view that policemen could be deployed at the residences of higher officials only for security purposes.
The judge said it was high time that the State government implemented an order passed by the High Court in 2012 for the constitution of a commission to look into the grievances of police personnel.
The judge said that the practice of deploying a huge number of policemen on bandobust duty and making them stand idle for hours under the hot sun should be done away with.
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He gave the AAG time till June 13 to submit a detailed report on the steps taken by the government to bring about reforms in the police department.